PROMOTING ACCESS TO HEALTH INFORMATION VIA MICROCOMPUTER

THE OBJECT IS TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED INFORMATION ABOUT COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS TO PARENTS AND CHILDREN USING MICROCOMPUTER PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDE TEXT AND GRAPHICS. THE VEHICLE IS A HARDWARE-SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT WILL BE LEASED OR SOLD TO SERVICE PROVIDERS SUCH AS HOSPITAL CLINICS OR HMO'S. IN PHASE I, A PROTOTYPE MODULE CONCERNING COMMON CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, SUCH AS BEDWETTING AND SLEEP PROBLEMS, WILL BE DEVELOPED. PHASE I WILL CONSIST OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND A SMALL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY, USER INTEREST, AND APPLICATIONS. USING READILY AVAILABLE, SOPHISTICATED, AND INEXPENSIVE GRAPHICS PROGRAMS TO CREATE THE SCREENS, PROGRAMS WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT ARE THEN LINKED TOGETHER IN A MULTIPLE-CHOICE FORMAT. THE SYSTEM WILL BE TESTED IN TWO WAYS: (1) BY ALLOWING ONE MICROCOMPUTER TO RUN UNATTENDED IN THE BELLEVUE PEDIATRIC CLINIC WAITING ROOM, COLLECTING DATA VIA THE PROGRAMMING, AND (2) BY COMPARING PATIENTS REFERRED TO AN ONGOING BEHAVIOR CLINIC WHO HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO USE THE COMPUTER DURING THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THEIR FIRST BEING IDENTIFIED AND THEIR APPOINTMENT WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT DIRECTED TO USETHE COMPUTER.